The Jack Palance character
I rather enjoyed the parts where he would pull random quotations out of his pocket.
Anyone care to discuss?
Was it to show how ridiculous a man this callow producer-type is?
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MovieChat Forums > Le mépris (1964) Discussion > The Jack Palance character
I absolutely loved Jerry! I think the quotations were really great because it sets up an interesting dichotomy between Jerry & Fritz. Both characters like to pull quotes out of nowhere. In Jerry's case he's just mouthing words without understanding the wisdom; yet he remains a powerful figure. Fritz, on the other hand, is very wise and measured with his words, but as a character he's a total weakling who can't stand up for his convictions.
I really liked the Jerry vs. Fritz scenes because it shows us how impotent wisdom is without backbone. Fritz spouts some sage wisdom, gets put in his place by Jerry, then just shrugs his shoulders and trudges on. Classic.
Actually Fritz Lang is the only one in the movie who speaks all languages and can communicate with the others equally. He speaks French and English, whereas Jerry only speaks English, and Paul and Camille only French, and everytime they try to communicate with each other, it's like a farce.
And then, during the shooting the film, Paul backs Jerry and his vision of the film, against Fritz Lang's.
I thought that was interesting.
"This is Jack Burton in the Pork Chop Express, and I'm talkin' to whoever's listenin' out there!"
IMO the film provides a much needed dig at producers who, albeit understandably, aim to control and dictate the film. jack palance is distasteful, perhaps intelligent, but he doesn't have the artistic license of lang and even paul. his cards a weapon, not his brain.
shareJack Palance had no idea what he was doing. By his own admission he was drunk most of the time, hated Godard, and three days in either couldn't understand him, or simply stopped taking his totally confusing, contradictory, over complicated and abstract direction at all.
He's absolutely brilliant.